THANKSGIVING ROUNDUP

Some see Thanksgiving as an example of the possibility of great respect and cooperation between two different cultures. Today, many associate the holiday less with pilgrims and American Indians and more with football and turkey.

It may come in fourth on the list of top protein choices, but one day out of the year nothing else will do. Every Thanksgiving Day, chicken, beef and pork all step aside for turkey. But would the bird be so popular without its own holiday?

Preparing a classic holiday turkey is easier than it looks, but it does take some careful planning and timing. HowStuffWorks has everything you need to know about how to properly grill, roast and carve a turkey.

What's 63 feet long, 46 feet tall and filled with 12,000 cubic feet of helium? One of the behemoth balloons at the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. Have you ever wondered how many balloon wranglers are needed to keep the parade afloat?

THANKSGIVING

It's Thanksgiving Day, and your waistband is groaning. You're heavy-lidded as you lift one more forkful of pumpkin pie to your mouth. Is a natural sedative called tryptophan really the reason you want a nap after Thanksgiving dinner?

Have you ever wondered how the pop-up timer on a turkey works? It's one of the simplest inventions and provides great relief to thousands of holiday cooks. But how does it know when your turkey is cooked to perfection?